The Rise of Local Philanthropy | 4TH SPACE
Join film director and producer Josie Fomé and Jacqueline Asiimwe, CEO of CivSource Africa, for an insightful conversation following the screening of The Rise of Local Philanthropy. This powerful documentary delves into the experiences of communities in Kampala, Uganda, when international aid organizations withdrew at the height of the pandemic, leaving many Ugandans without critical support. Despite this, local organizations rose to the challenge, filling the gap and providing essential aid. Watch the film and discover their inspiring story.
The film is available here: • The Rise of Local Philanthropy
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Localisation: Just another civil society buzzword?
CivLegacy Foundation's recent study explores the impact of the localisation agenda on global development, highlighting challenges like funding imbalances and structural power issues that local organisations face. The report emphasizes the need for a collaborative, community-centered approach that prioritizes direct funding and local-led solutions.
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#ShiftThePower Global Summit | A collective goal & a bond in diversity. (Bogota, Colombia)
What started off as a convening to facilitate conversation within a community that dreamed of philanthropy and development done better has since birthed a movement. This movement saw multitudes of development practitioners, philanthropy support organisations, non-profits, grassroots organisations, funders, academia and more converge in Bogota to collectively celebrate the milestones achieved so far, strategize for the future and form connections to further advance the shift in the development system. The Global Fund for Community Foundations convened the #ShiftThePower Global Summit, a gathering that was highly diverse and largely attended by participants from all over the world and different corners of the philanthropy and development space.
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We need to talk about the D word | #DecolonisingPhilanthropy
WINGS' 2023 Forum featured a highly anticipated session, 'Decolonising Philanthropy: A Global South Exploration,'. The session delved into the intricacies of decolonization, offering insightful perspectives from practitioners in Brazil, Uganda, Ghana, and Mexico. Addressing systemic imbalances in philanthropy, participants challenged established notions and advocated for introspection. The conversation explored colonial actions in the sector and proposed strategies for decolonization, unveiling tough truths about outdated dynamics. Beyond issues of White supremacy, the dialogue encompassed challenges within African collaborations and the need for a mindset shift among funders from the Global North. The forum called for a reassessment of aid flow, philanthropic narratives, and the role of intermediaries. Emphasizing the importance of embracing discomfort, the session encouraged a focus on transformation in day-to-day practices. This compelling discussion at WINGSForum 2023 aimed to inspire funders to genuinely embody transformation.
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Breaking Stigmas, Building Futures through Acts of Generosity: Giving Tuesday 2023 Celebration in Uganda
November 28, 2023, marked a momentous day as Uganda joyfully participated in the worldwide observance of Giving Tuesday. Embracing the profound concept that is both simple and impactful, the essence was clear: a collective commitment to contribute skills, time, talent, and treasure to causes that resonate deeply. Guided by the empowering theme #LeavetoGive, individuals stepped away from their daily pursuits to embark on a journey of giving, amplifying the spirit of generosity and communal support.
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Enjuba Children Spelling Bee: A testament to generosity of Uganda's businesses.
Watching the children spell was an awesome sight to behold and a testament to the generosity of Ugandan businesses. Allow me to take you back a few steps. A few months ago, CivSource Africa, along with other prominent corporations such as NTV Uganda, Roofings Limited, Plascon Limited, Victoria Hospital, and more, gathered for a spirited Corporate Spelling Bee event.
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Slum Life Survival Fundraising Dinner
Slum Life Survival (SLS) is a non-government organization committed to making a difference in the lives of slum dwellers by empowering youth, children, and women. Slum Life Survival interfaces with the people living in slums by engaging them in projects that focus on economic development, provision of clean water, and sanitation, improving healthcare facilities, and advocating for equitable urban Policies. All this work has been transformed into impactful stories.
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Reflect-Innovate-Impact: Lessons from the EAPNPFU Quarterly Forum
The East Africa Philanthropy Network (EAPN) and Philanthropy Forum Uganda (PFU) Forum themed; Reflect-Innovate-ImpactAdopting Actionable Values for Vibrant Philanthropy” was convened on Thursday 12th October 2023 at Protea Hotel in Kampala, Uganda.
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Gathering of Givers 2023. Beyond Profit_Businesses Driving Social Change
Friday 29th September 2023 marked the 4th convening of the Gathering of Givers (GoG) hosted at Mestil Hotel Kampala in Uganda by CivSource Africa. The Gathering of Givers is a colorful event that brings together different people of the world, united by the spirit of Philanthropy. This year’s Gathering of Givers was themed; Beyond Profit: Businesses Driving Social Change.
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Building synergies between local and international philanthropy 10th August 2023
CivSource Africa, on 10th August 2012, hosted an event aimed at fostering collaboration and cross-learning between international private philanthropy foundations and local community foundations. The theme of the meeting was “Building Synergies between International and Local Philanthropy.”
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Reflections From the 8th East Africa Philanthropy Conference 2023: Catalysing collective Action for Systems Transformation
The 8th East Africa Philanthropy Conference in 2023, themed ‘Systems Transformation: Catalyzing Collective Action’, was convened from June 28th to June 30th in Zanzibar, Tanzania. This gathering united local charitable trusts, foundations, and not-for-profit organizations, both from within and beyond the African continent. The conference aimed to foster collaboration, explore systems transformation, co-create solutions for collective philanthropic action, inspire innovations, and share best practices within the international development sector.
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Enjuba Spelling Bee: Bridging Gaps and Fostering Corporate Giving
Despite achieving nearly 100% school enrollment in Uganda, there remains a significant challenge—approximately 60% of enrolled children do not complete primary school. Even more alarming, over 83% of children aged 10 and under in Uganda cannot read and comprehend what they read, a situation classified by the World Bank as ‘learning poor’.
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Looking in the mirror: Personal reflections on decolonizing aid
We once had a conversation with our colleagues that drifted into the decolonization movement and how we as Africans are perceived; our style of dressing, how we wear our hair, and how our languages are influenced by colonialism and more recently, pop culture trends. While referring to one of our female colleagues who was wearing an African print shirt and has short, close-cropped natural hair, there was a shared perspective within the group that more “enlightened Pan-Africans” tend to wear “traditional” African print clothes and natural hair as a resistance to Western styles that have come to represent a stereotypical version of professionalism.
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Community-led Development with MOTT and CivSource Africa: A Focus on Community Foundations.
CivSource Africa has for the past year walked the journey of researching, activating, and enabling community philanthropy through a philanthropic vehicle known as a community foundation. Community Foundations are designed to pool donations and resources into a coordinated investment and grant making facility dedicated primarily to serving the development and social needs of people and groups in a given locality. This model is relevant even more in this day and age as we shift the power back to communities, that are well-able and knowledgeable about their needs and can garner resources from within and without to address these needs.
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Fostering Collaborative Philanthropy: Porticus Kenya and CivSource Africa Connect.
On 26th July 2023, Porticus Kenya paid CivSource Africa a visit. Porticus Kenya is a part of global philanthropic organization which operates with a mission to strengthen the resilience of communities and empower individuals to take charge of their destinies. CivSource Africa, on the other hand, is an independent advisory organization which seeks to refine the practice and footprint of philanthropy in Africa through authentic civic engagement and stewardship of entrusted resources.
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Young women shaping philanthropy through debate
Strategic conversations have been a core aspect of how we refine the practice of philanthropy in Uganda. It is in these conversations that statistics are reduced to narratives; compelling stories that ignite action and enable us address the challenges premised in the field of philanthropy and civil society.
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Reimagining Philanthropy: Envisioning the Future.
The East African Philanthropy Network (EAPN) in partnership with CivSource Africa and Philanthropy Forum for Uganda convened an in-person forum for philanthropy practitioners in Uganda under the theme, “Reimagining Philanthropy, Envisioning the Future.”
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Decolonizing Aid – Women’s rights and women-led organizations
Moky Makura once said, "If you want real impact, giving shouldn't start with what is best for the giver, but it so frequently does." Unfortunately, this sentiment is all too common in the world of philanthropy, particularly regarding aid for Africa.
At CivSource Africa, our mission is to refine the practice of philanthropy and civil society's impact in Africa. In order to do so, we must first reflect on how philanthropy has been done in the past.
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The African Philanthropy Conference – African Philanthropists Closing the Gender Gap
CivSource Africa participated in the recently concluded African Philanthropy Forum conference held on 24th and 25th October 2022. The Conference was hosted in Kigali and attended by over 190 philanthropic stakeholders from 29 countries. The event was held under the theme, “African Philanthropists Closing the Gender Gap.”
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HARNESSING THE POWER OF COMMUNITY PHILANTHROPY
A VISIT FROM THE CS MOTT FOUNDATION
While building a body of knowledge on African philanthropy in Uganda, CivSource Africa undertook its maiden research on the landscape of local philanthropy in Uganda. The study presented evidence of community foundations in Uganda. It was found that there was no database of community foundations, their functionality remained unclear and there was a research gap on these institutions.
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